WILLIAM PRYOR….Chris Mooney has a good post today about wingnut appeals court nominee William Pryor. I think he’s right about the strategy behind his nomination, too: there’s no way Bush can think that Pryor will ever be confirmed, but since Democrats can’t filibuster everyone, his rejection will lead to an easier path for other conservative ? but not quite insane ? nominees.
And Sam Heldman links to an op-ed by conservative lawyer Bruce Fein lashing out at at Judge Roy “Ten Commandments” Moore for his refusal to admit that the First Amendment applies to states as well as Congress. Sam says:
Though Fein doesn’t mention it, among the Republicans who have remained publicly silent on the point — and the Republican who by all rights should have been the most vocal on it — is Bill Pryor, Alabama’s Attorney General. Pryor’s official website still includes no mention of the 11th Circuit’s decision, many days after the issuance of that decision. And he has not publicly decried the intimations by Chief Justice Moore that Moore might not obey the 11th Circuit’s mandate. Instead, Pryor has (according to the Mobile newspaper — scroll down to last item) hid behind some patently absurd assertion that he shouldn’t discuss the case because it might yet go to the Supreme Court. If there is any chance that any Republicans on the Judiciary Committee plan to do anything other than blind adherence to party politics, they should consider Pryor’s silence in light of Fein’s essay.
Just remember: if Pryor gets confirmed he could be your next Supreme Court justice. Doesn’t that thought send chills up and down your spine?
